Laboratory Reports for IB Physics

 

What to Include

Details of Sections

  • Title Page
    • A title page must include;
      • the title of the lab
      • your first and last name
      • the name of any partner (and some indication as to the extent of the partnership, e.g. 'lab work and data gathering')
      • teachers name and period of the class
      • date the lab was conducted
      • date the lab was written or submitted
  • Purpose
    • State the purpose of the investigation. Why is this investigation being conducted?
  • Question
    • What is the question for which this investigation is trying to determine the answer. It is a good idea to state the question in terms of the independent, dependent and control variables where possible.
  • Hypothesis / Prediction
    • A particular experiment may or may not have a hypothesis and or prediction. A hypothesis is a reasoned explanation of what may be expected and why in the experiment. This should be based on physics theory. You may wish to make a prediction, a statement about what you would expect to observe in the investigation or experiment.
  • Design
    • This is an several sentence explanation of how the experiment is to be conducted in general. It should list dependent, independent and control variables.
    • A picture is worth 1000 words. Often the design section will refer to a diagram by number and title (e.g. 'refer to Fig 2 - Diagram of Test Set Up'). The diagram should be numbered, titled and appended to the back of the report on a separate page.
      • your diagram should be legible
      • items on your diagram should be labeled
  • Materials
    • This is a detailed list of equipment and materials used. Include quantities where applicable.
    • When appropriate indicate the serial number of equipment used.
    • Include any safety equipment needed.
    • A picture is worth 1000 words. Often the materials section will refer to a diagram by number and title (e.g. 'refer to Fig 2 - Diagram of Test Set Up'). The diagram should be numbered, titled and appended to the back of the report.
      • your diagram should be legible
      • items on your diagram should be labeled
  • Procedure
    • Describe in a step by step format (usually numbered) what was actually done in the experiment.
    • Include the actual steps in the actual order.
  • Observations
    • Observations are only those physical quantities which you observe.........with your senses.......(vision, smell, sound, touch, taste). You do not calculate an observation. Observations usually include the raw data that you read or measured.
    • You may include anecdotal observations especially if you are going to use the observation in the evaluation section. For example if your evaluation explains that your data could be in error because 'the wheel had a bump in it', or 'the cart didn't go straight' or any other legitimate reason, I would expect to see this information first in the observation section of the report.
    • If there is a significant ammount of observed data it should be tabulated and placed in an appendix. This should be refered to in the body of the report (e.g. 'refer to Appendix C, Tabulated Data; Fig 7 - Raw and Calculated Data ')
    • If raw data is required to be handed in (like a ticker tape or a ray diagram) then it should be attached to a sheet of paper (if required) numbered, titled and appended to the back of the lab report.
    • You are be required to indicate uncertainty in any quantitative observations. If this is a requirement of this lab then;
      • include the specified uncertainty of the instrument if it is known
      • if the uncertainty is not known, record the data to one more decimal place than the smallest increment on the scale of the instrument and claim an uncertainty of +/- one half of the smallest increment on the scale. [e.g. 37.3 +/- 0.5 mm would be appropriate reading for a distance scale in which the smallest increment is 1 mm, in this case the data was estimated to one tenth of a millimeter and an uncertainty was claimed of +/- one half of a millimeter.]
  • Analysis
    •  Analysis includes calculations, tables and graphs of processed data. The analysis should make sense of the data.
      • Calculations - should be appended or attached to the back of the report.
        • format of written calculations
          • margins on top and both sides of page
          • writing on one side only
          • pages numbered and total number
          • title, date, name appear at the top
          • diagram included, variables identified and consistent in name with the rest of the report, final answers underlined with correct significant digits.
        • example of calculation in correct format - note this example is missing error analysis which is required in IB
        • Error analysis is generally done separately from the analysis calculation.
      • Tables - Appended to the back of the report
        • Should be numbered and titled e.g. Fig 3 Table of Calculated Acceleration Values from Trial 1
        •  Variable names and symbols should be consistent with the rest of the report.
        • Spreadsheet is an ideal way to present calculated data. Especially if you use the formula functions.
        • If calculated data is presented in a table then at least one data set should be presented in a longhand calculation as described above.
      • Graphs
        • Axes should be labeled with; quantity, variable name, (units) Example Time, t, (s) or Displacement, x, (m)
        • An appropriate scale should be used
        • Graphs should be numbered and titled appropriately, Example Fig 4 - Graph of Displacement of Object vs. Time
        • You may find graph paper at this link
        • Use proper technique to draw lines of best fit. This does not necessarily go through point (0,0) unless this is a data point. The line of best fit should pass through the uncertainty bars.
        • Include error bars in the graph. This represents the uncertainty values.
        • Instruction as to graphing at this link
  • Evaluation / Discussion / Conclusion
    • Is your hypothesis / prediction supported by the evidence in the investigation. Is the hypothesis / prediction refuted by the evidence or is the experiment inconclusive.
    • You may discuss the error in the experiment and possibly suggest ways to reduce it.
    • A % difference calculation can be made to determine how close the value you came up with meets an accepted value.
    • How would you improve the experiment in terms of conducting the experiment if it were to be done again and in terms of design.
    • A conclusion can confirm or be consistent with the the hypothesis, disprove or be inconsistent with the hypothesis, or be inconclusive.
  • Appendices
    • The requirement in this course that all diagrams, graphs, tabulated data, calculations and other support information be appended. (Note: In many laboratory report formats the appendix contains only items which do not fit into the main body of the report but are necessary to verify your results or explain details. This is common and you should be aware that this may be acceptable in your other courses.)
    • In general append diagrams first, followed graphs, followed by tabulated data, followed by calculations, followed by other information.
    • Headings for Appendices
      • Should be identified by letter, Appendix A, Appendix B etc.
      • Headings should be consistently placed, all at the top or all at the bottom of the page
      • A typical heading example may be
        • Appendix A, Diagrams; Fig 1 - Diagram Of Experimental Set Up
        • Appendix A, Diagrams; Fig 2 - Photograph of Experimental Set Up
        • Appendix A, Diagrams; Fig 3 - Detail of Connection
        • Appendix B, Graphs; Fig 4 - Graph of Displacement vs. Time for Cart
        • Appendix B, Graphs; Fig 5 - Graph of Velocity vs. Time for Cart
        • Appendix B, Graphs; Fig 6 - Graph of Instantaneous and Average Acceleration vs. Time for Cart
        • Appendix C, Tabulated Data; Fig 7 - Raw and Calculated Data
        • Appendix C, Tabulated Data; Fig 8 - Raw and Calculated Uncertainties
        • Appendix D, Calculations; Fig 9 - Calculation for Hypothesis
        • Appendix D, Calculations; Fig 10- Sample Calculation
        • Appendix E, Raw Data; Fig 11- Ticker Tape
        • Appendix F, History of Ticker Tape Timers
        •  
        • This is an example. If there were no Tabulated Data, then Calculations would be Appendix C. There is no requirement in any of your labs to put in the "History of Ticker Tape Timers", but it is included to show where you would append it if it was required. Unless specifically directed, it is up to you to determine what information needs to be included in your lab and how to organize the appendix for a complete lab.
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